Here's your second Writing Workshop video, about 17 minutes...I know that might seem annoying, but hey, at least I'm not talking for an entire hour! :) But I do think this will be helpful throughout the semester, since the #1 thing I want to teach you about writing is that "writing is a conversation." Watch more below.
ALSO: The response question is at the end of the video, so you'll have to watch it to get the question. Respond as a COMMENT, or e-mail it to me if you can't get it to post. Let me know if you have any questions about your paper as well! Good luck!
My “whale hunt” would be playing old video games and watching shows from my childhood. A lot of these games and shows remind me of various memories as a kid and take me back to those times to relive them often. Other people like to play new games but I personally like to mostly stick to my old games because they mean a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteVery cool--me, too! Which games/systems in particular? And what shows? Would you buy them for a lot of money simply to have them in your personal collection? Even if your future spouse told you, "what a waste of money! All this old crap??" :)
DeleteMany people in Colorado take the mountains for granted. One thing that I absolutely miss doing every week that brought me joy was taking my dog on a hike at Chautauqua park in Boulder. Hiking up these trails brought me peace and helped me clear my mind. There is nothing physical that I really benefited from these hikes besides giving myself some "me" time to rejuvenate myself for the upcoming week. I think I lost a part of myself when I moved away from the mountians because I can't see that beautiful view every week. That view reminded me how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful state and to be alive. When I move back, I will definitely appreciate the little things about these hikes with my dog. I think the hikes made me the way I am because they made me more appreciative of the world around me.
ReplyDeleteThis is for Anmarie Dominick, I don't know why it published as Unknown.
DeleteWow, I can only imagine, having been in the mountains just a few times in my life. But that's how I feel about the ocean: it's something that's hard to be away from, and being landlocked is a claustrophobic feeling. But you're right--it's a great way to connect with something larger than yourself, and to really forget yourself, in a way. I guess you'll have to settle for the hill on campus leading to the stadium for now! :(
DeleteI feel like my "whale hunt" is my flute and band. There's times when I love playing my flute and there's times when I hate playing it. I absolutely loved it in high school when I got to play with my friends in the stands at football games. I would really dislike it whenever I had to do auditions and play in front of people and I still hate that part of it. I do it because no matter what you do in life you have to go through the bad parts of things that you don't like to get to the good parts that make it worth it. I know flute and band isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life even after I graduate, but it's just something I do to enjoy and get some scholarship money for while I figure out what it is I truly want to pursue. It has connected me with so many people and helped me step out of my comfort zone more than anything, it's what makes me me.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--for many people, being able to play an instrument doesn't mean anything. They can't understand the joy that comes from expressing yourself through an instrument, and better yet, playing with others, esp. in a large ensemble. It's so great that you get to continue this through college as you find yourself, even if you don't end up playing music professionally. But it can always be part of your life, even if it doesn't make you any money or give you any 'success.'
DeleteMy personal whale hunt would be my pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education to become teacher. For as long as I can remember since I decided to pursue a career in teaching I have gotten two responses. The first, usually coming from people who are teachers themselves, is supportive and telling me how rewarding teaching at any age level can be but especially with the little kids like I want to teach. The second response is people who tell me I'm crazy because kids are insane and teachers are not paid well and that I should pursue a more financially rewarding career. My mom is a Pre-k teacher and so I pretty well know what I'm going to be getting myself into when going into teaching. While there would be no real physical consequences if I were to stop pursuing a teaching career there would be personal emotional consequences. For example, I have a passion for children and wanting to teach and help and show love to them is a huge part of what makes me the person I am.
ReplyDeleteYes, this will definitely be the "whale on your back" for quite some time when people ask you what you do for a living! But teaching, along with several other professions, are the "silent" jobs that make the world possible. However, they're hard to make glamorous and they are just flat-out hard, so our society tends to dismiss them or make them seem easy. And yet, it's one of the most rewarding jobs out there if you love it, and it's something you have to do--we need new teachers, esp. in this state! Keep at it!
DeleteMy personal whale hunt is fishing and camping. It has what my family has done for a while to it's kind of like a tradition to go on a camping trip before school starts back in the fall. It shows that you don't need technology to have fun and spend quality family time together for the weekend. I personally love the fact I could be by the lake all day and fish in absolute silence and not have to worry about my phone going off every few minutes. If we didn't go camping then we wouldn't of had made so many memories that wasn't caught on camera but we will still remember them. It is definitely something I want to keep doing for my children and their children. To show them the wonders of nature and all the possible ways to get dirty and have fun. It's a wonderful experience that we would lose if we stopped going.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: Be sure to put your name somewhere in the comment so I know who you are! I want to give you credit for this.
DeleteBut this is a great response very similar to the reason the tribe hunts whales--as a way to connect the individual and the family with nature. There are no distractions, no reminders of who you are in the outside world...just the world as it's always been. And it's a great legacy to hand down to your children, as it connects them with you, and you with your own parents. Very cool!
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ReplyDeleteFor me it would be music. The music I like affects almost every part of my life. It's the reason I collect records, sew patches on my jacket, and it is even the entire reason I play guitar. Furthermore, it gives me an identity as a person. It allows me to be a part of a community and to connect with people who have the same interests. Without music I feel that I would be a shell of the person I am now.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--I completely agree. Having an identity as a person is like the tribe in the comment: it gives their community an identity as hunters. Without that, they wouldn't have their heritage or their purpose. And by wearing patches on your jacket, it's a way of symbolizing this identity for others (and yourself) to see.
DeleteMy personal "whale hunt" would be staying in touch with an old friend. It's more detailed than that, basically, this person was in my life throughout high school and knows what all someone can know about me and I knew everything about them. From some personal problem to what their favorite color was. We stopped talking and being friends a couple years ago because of some silly reasons. I felt like I was their diary for their problems and that one of my many purposes in my life was to help them and make them not feel alone. I still talk to them everyday, asking them how they're doing and things like that. This person and how I've impacted their life is one of the many reasons why I choose to work in medical field and help other people in need. I'm not sure if this is a good answer but they don't return what I give them and I'm absolutely fine with that, as long as I helped them
ReplyDeleteWow, this is very interesting...I've been in relationships like this, too, where you don't really get anything from the other person, but you give so much to them. And yet, the relationship is fulfilling because you know you're helping them, and you know they need you to help 'see' themselves. Maybe one day you can switch roles? Or make it more of a mutual exchange?
DeleteMy whale hunt would have to be music. It has gotten me through my bad days, and keeps me happy on good days. I will always have headphones in or have music on in my room because music helps me to relax and destress. I have a very wide taste in music so whenever I have friends over, it's pretty easy for us to find some tracks we all agree on.
ReplyDeleteGood response...but what kind of music (or what band) could you absolutely not live without? If someone told you that you had too much music and had to throw some of it out, what would you defend with your life? How could you explain to someone the importance of this one band or album?
DeleteMusic reveals how we feel when words can’t express or define what we feel. In life music has always played a significant role in how I expressed myself. If I were to give up music, I feel I would essentially be losing sight of how I perceive the world, for music is deeply imbedded in how I see it today. If I stopped pursuing music, I don’t think my family, community nor my culture would be really affected as far as I think. Music and its astounding beauty and abundance of creativity has greatly developed how it's made me today. It’s helped me see the greater beauty of the world; to see the world for not what it is, but for what it could be; to see it has a huge canvas where silence is just another blank spot that I can paint with sound. In truth music IS my whale hunt and it makes me, me. -Andrew Ambrosoli
ReplyDeleteYes, very well expressed--I particularly like the line, "silence is just another blank spot that I can paint with sound." Very cool! But as you say, we all need something that we use to interact with the world and define ourselves within it and apart from it. Music often allows us to do this, even if it doesn't become our 'career' identity. It always seems to tap into a deeper part of yourself.
DeleteI believe my "whale hunt" is making other people happy. Although a lot of the time I get nothing back, I always try and make other people happy even if it affects my own happiness. I like to see people happy and and I will always put other peoples emotions and feelings before my own. I know its not the best trait to have, but "its who I am".
ReplyDeleteAh, very cool--so you're a firm believer in etiquette, then (from our last essay)? How did you learn to be so selfless in a society that is often very self-centered and attention-seeking? What do you think you learn from constantly thinking of other people rather than asking, "what do I need now?" Did you relate a lot to the essay "Finished," since it's basically about your 'whale'?
DeleteI think I learned to care about people so much because of everything I have been through in life. You never know what is really going on in someone else's head so therefore I try to make an good impact in someone's life. Caring more about what I do for other's rather than worrying more about myself has taught me that my happiness truly comes from seeing other people happy and succeeding. I have also learned that in a world like today's, you can't really rely on anyone but yourself!
DeleteMy "whale hunt" would be my love for running. When I tell people I love to run they always ask if I compete or run marathons. When I tell them I do it for fun they tend to give me weird looks and ask me questions like "why on earth would anyone suffer purposely", which has become normal to me. Why would anyone run for fun? I do it because it really helps clear my mind when I am stressed and I love the adrenaline of trying to beat my old running time. I have come a long way from when I started and am very proud of my progress which people don't get. I do it for me, and that's why I do it.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--this is a perfect connection to the quote, since for most people, what you do for fun is punishment. But what they don't understand is that if you love it, and you find deep meaning in it, it can never be punishment. As you say, it helps you grow, it's a form of meditation, and it's a competition (with yourself and others). I'm sure you have many pivotal memories of your life tied around specific competitions or marathons. It's a great way to tell time--much more reliable than calendars or dates, actually!
DeleteMy whale hunt would have to be meeting up with my friends from my hometown each weekend. We all go to different colleges but when we all meet up, it's like nothing has changed. I have been friends with them since I was little and it's just amazing to me how we have overcame so many obstacles in our way but somehow we were able to stick it out and remain friends. They make me feel at ease and make me feel like everything about that stressful week will turn out okay. I can be myself with them and they make me who I am. They have gotten me through so many problems and have made me a better person.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great response: people always say, "make new friends in college, forge new relationships!" And while this is good advice in general, it shouldn't be at the expense of those who have know you your entire life. You'll never know someone as well as the people you met as kids, and those bonds are almost impossible to break. So while someone else wouldn't see the point of going home to reconnect, for you, it's a way to remember who you are. These people are 'you.'
DeleteI may not be the best at it, but I love to doodle. It is my personal whale hunt, because when I do doodle, it is usually on my school work, so people ask me why I even bother doing it, if I will have to erase it either way. I view it as a sort of buffering period when I work, because in order for me to come up with good responses. I need a few minutes to relax my mind and when I doodle, I feel like with every stroke of the pencil, I am somehow transforming my thoughts from my distracted thoughts to the place right in from of me. This may seem counterintuitive, since I am not actively working on the problems in from of me, but if I were to stop, I feel like my thoughts would all come together and get congested, which usually would make me stress. It makes it me, because I have grown up in a household that has a few artistic people and it just feels wrong without little illustrations wherever I look.
ReplyDeleteThis is Tori Prince :D
DeleteYes, I can relate so well to this! Doodling is a great form of art, since you're not worrying about what you're creating, but are almost subconsciously creating, letting the line flow and take you wherever it wants. This is how I want everyone to approach writing initially: to doodle instead of write. Because these doodles will free you to make intellectual leaps that will lead to great writing, just as your doodles might become actual drawing and paintings down the road (and probably have already!). I love how you describe it as a "buffering period," which is exactly how I see it. Feel free to doodle on the questions you turn in!
DeleteI can't pick just one "whale hunt", so I've decided on three. My first "whale hunt" would have to be helping others/being my friends' therapist. I will always help other people even if I get nothing in return or get hurt in the process. I try my best to check in on all my friends even if no one checks in on me. I listen to all their problems and try my hardest to give them the best advice I can whenever they need someone to talk to. And I know I'm slowly killing myself by avoiding all my problems by distracting myself with fixing everyone else. That's where my second "whale hunt" comes in, music, music has become my emotions. Whatever I'm feeling music is always there for me, serving as the therapist I am for my friends. Music is with me in the good and bad times, but the same can't be said for some of my "friends". I feel like I'm over-sharing so I'll leave those two alone and move on to my last part. The last part of my "whale hunt" is Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing almost centers me, that is my main stress reliever. I will continue to throw all my money into this franchise. I actually just bought the latest game this weekend along with a Nintendo Switch. I've played almost every single game in the series. A lot of people see video games and gaming as a waster of money but if I had the money I would have so many more consoles and games and just be gamer on the side.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--don't worry about oversharing, I'm interested to read whatever you write, and I think the more you write, the more ideas will develop that you can use later on. I love how these all tie together, and how one can supplement what the other one doesn't give you or can't provide. Very interesting!
DeleteMy "whale hunt" would be playing basketball. It keeps me exercised and in shape. It allows me to step out of my comfort zone by playing others, younger, older and all of the above. If i dropped basketball and playing all the time i would loose the love of the game. As well as all the hard work and dedication I have put into the game.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: Make sure to put your name somewhere in the comment so I can give you credit for this! But this is a great observation: that if you stopped playing, it would erase your past, in a sense...all the hard work and training that you spent years trying to master. This reminds us that a passion isn't just about the money spent but also the investment of time and energy. If you quit, then it's like you're negating your past and pretending it didn't exist. And that's hard to stomach!
DeleteMy personal "whale hunt" would be hanging out with my best friends. Anytime we have free time it is spent together, even if it's just to hang out on our phones. Every moment spent away from each other, we keep in touch through text message and social media. Every night we discuss what our parents are cooking and decide where we want to eat, we even tag along on each other’s vacations. My best friends are a big part of who I am, and we have been friends since the seventh grade. In high school, we were nicknamed "the triplets" because almost every time the teachers saw us, we were with each other. Time spent together with them brings me happiness and without them, I don't know what I would do.
ReplyDeleteGreat response: the people you met in your younger years will always be part of you, even if you don't see each other for 10 or 20 years. I still talk with people I've known since I was a kid, even though we haven't seen each other in almost 30 years! But the bond is there, since it's part of who you are--and without it, who would you be??
DeleteMy "whale hunt" would be my phone. I have become so dependent on it that I cannot go anywhere without it. Even when I am with my family, anytime there is silence I get on it, because it is a force of habit. On the other hand, my phone keeps me connected to the family that lives away from me. Through Facebook and texting, I can keep up with their lives and they can keep up with mine. If I were to not have a phone I would lose this sense of closeness and the opportunity to stay in touch with certain family members. My phone makes me "me" because it has all my pictures on it and I love to go back and look at them to relive memories in my life.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is fascinating: that the phone keeps you connected to people that, if you were around them, you probably wouldn't be as connected to. I think we love the phone because it gives us a more 'open' way to communicate with people--we can send them emojis or videos and memes and even personal messages that would be awkward to do in person. It's even easier to say romantic things via text than you could in person, since you would often sound stupid and not even be convinced by it yourself. So I think it would be very hard for any of us to give up this 'second language.' It really is a part of who we are and how we interact with the world.
DeleteMy "whale hunt" is watching movies. I have this need to watch all kinds of movies no matter the genre or subject. I have always loved watching movies from Scooby Doo when I was younger to Casino Royale now. I also have to know every actor in the movie or I don't feel like i truly watched the movie. My friends think it's weird that I watch so many movies but they bring me comfort. It drives me absolutely insane when my friends don't understand any of the references I make towards movie or actor. I forgive them because they don't really watch movies. I just don't think I would be the person I am today without watching movies because I've taken bits and pieces of characters and made me.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's so cool--I often do the same thing: I look up all the actors on IMDB while watching to see where I know them from, or where they were born, etc. Because watching movies isn't' just watching a story, it's being part of an endless world of references and connections that shows you how small the world really is! But the movies, themselves, are pretty cool, too. Honestly, one of my favorite games is to list where I know each actor from, and which actors were in other movies together.
DeleteMy personal "whale hunt" is being with others whether it is hanging out with my friends or meeting new people. I don't receive success nor money but happiness and memories is what I am passionate about. I love to make others happy even if it is at my expense. If I began to seclude myself from others I probably would be lonely and that is one of my fears. All of the friendships I have made throughout my life I will always cherish. I believe making others happy and also making new friends is what makes me the person I am today.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! So I bet you related to the "Finished" essay, since that's all about etiquette (doing things for others instead of yourself, as the essay said). I wonder how you became so selfless in a world that isn't very geared to this kind of conduct? How did you find meaning in it? And how does it compare to having someone do something really great for you?
DeleteMy "whale hunt" would be running. Not many people understand when I say I enjoy running, I usually get the same response from everyone. It helps me clear my head and run off the stress of the day. I get my outside time and always feel so much better after I go. On days I don't feel like running or am not able too I usually try to go for a walk or try to at least get some form of fresh air. It keeps me at ease and helps make my days go smoother.
ReplyDeleteMy “Whale hunt” would be any of these three things: my partner, my family, or music. To start, my partner, Skyler, is my everything. I tell him everything, strive to do all I can to help his wellbeing, and care for him immensely. I believe some would argue that I receive love from him so technically I’m getting something out of my experiences with him, but is that enough to devote my whole being to this person? All of who I am has been altered by this person (hopefully for the better), but is his love enough to satisfy my effort? I believe it is because I truly love him.
ReplyDeleteThe second “whale hunt” involves my family. It involves a lot of the same points as above. They love and care for me, but I put so much time and effort with no tangible profit.
The final “whale hunt” is music. I’ve played the piano off and on ever since fourth grade. I’ve never had a teacher, but I’ve learned how to read sheet music mostly by using my ears. Sitting at my small (and slightly out of tune) piano has costed me hundreds of hours of my life with no big reward. I’m still not all that good, but I’ve spent so much time playing. Most would probably quit and see the cost of time not nearly worth the effort, but it gives me such peace. I play when I’m sad, angry, happy, and basically whenever I have the urge. It’s such a big part of my soul that I couldn’t bare the thought of leaving such a magical feeling.
To conclude, my “whale hunts” are needed source of happiness in my life. I couldn’t imagine life without— even though I receive nothing tangible from my time.
When I am in England, my "Whale hunt" is going to the beach with my dad and my dog. We would go maybe once a month from June to September. Though it didn't bring us money or success, it gave us time to spend with each other and forget about work or school. We would drive for an hour to get there. During the drive I would blast music and my dad and I would sing along whilst trying to get the attention of the cars next to us. The drive was possibly my favorite part of the day! At the beach Belle would run around like crazy as me and dad ran in opposite directions so she could chase us. This may seem like small insignificant times but to me they mean everything and is something I will always cherish. The day would end with me and dad getting fish and chips to eat in the car - if it wasn't raining we would sit out on the beach but this was rare! When I am away from home these memories always remind me of good times.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, my "Whale hunt" is spending time with my family to gain happiness.
My "Whale Hunt" is the game Overwatch. It is a game I have played, loved and adored for almost 4 years. This game brings me no money, no real life success and is almost always considered a drain on my time but I continue to play because it keeps my mental reflexes sharp and it keeps me in touch with my online friends who have, at times, proven themselves to be even more dependable than my real life friends. This is a whale hunt that may one day die, possibly being taken offline due to inactivity but it is one who's memories and fun, and hopefully friends will always stick with me.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that you'll see this, but the college has an Overwatch team if you're interested.
DeleteMy personal "whale hunt" for me is definitely playing music in my band. I'm never certain which member is gonna stick it through, but even so, I still pursue the music that's in my heart. No matter if I'm on drum kit, guitar, bass, vocals, or even alone with my acoustic guitar that day, when I'm playing I feel truly free. To me music is something that allows to me tell my story, get my emotions out in their rawest form. No matter if the words I put on the page are happy or sad, music will always brings joy to my heart. Even if I play to an empty room every night there's no feeling to match me playing from my soul.
ReplyDeleteMy personal "Whale Hunt" would be computer games. I have been playing computer game since I was 2. It has always brought me happiness. Though the games I play on the computer change with time, I will always play games on my computer. I don't gain anything from it, but one day I plan to be a video game designer, which I will probably gain something from that.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy watching Korean dramas and listening to Korean music, my "whale hunt", but sometimes when I tell someone this they look at me weird and say, "Why would you want to read subtitles all the time?" or "You don't even know what they are saying in their songs!" Well actually I enjoy watching Kdramas and listening to Kpop because it is an escape from my bland reality, and I can always look up the English lyrics to the songs. You can ask any of my friends, but this is almost all I ever talk about, it brings me happiness and puts a smile on my face. If people do think that it is weird that is okay, because at first I thought it was really weird too, but then I came to love it. I think everyone has a weird hobby that others don't quite understand, but as long as it makes you happy, keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteNot gonna lie, I wrote this really nice little paragraph about how my "whale hunt" is writing, and how it's helped me, not only as a creative outlet, but also as a way to help teach me spelling and grammar. I went to read through the other comments and found one that I wanted to reply to. This thing then proceeded to kick me from the page and delete what I wrote. As I mourn this loss, I would like to say that writing has been important to me these past couple of years. It provides me a way to share ideas that would originally never leave my head, and helps me to remember things that I would fear forgetting. It serves a practical use in helping me learn the basics of the English language that I couldn't grasp as a child, and while it does not have any effect on those around me, I would be remiss if any of my stories got taken away from me.
ReplyDelete-Gracie Tollett
My personal "whale Hunt" is going horse back riding, my bestfriend and I often go on long morning horse rides though her pastors. Horse riding gives me a sense of peace and calms my mind in a way many things can't. Me, my siblings, and cousins often went on trail rides as children at the time none of us owned our own horses but I am happy I was able to have that experience. Many people have not had the experience of horse back riding or may not look at it the same way I do. I do not own any of my own horses but horse back riding has impacted my life in a positive way sense childhood.
ReplyDeleteMeditation is something that has really calmed me and my spirit throughout my high school years. I have had a lot of anger and trust issues and my mind absolutely loves to overthink for a living and, giving myself that time and space to stop and breathe has really helped me. Now I feel as if it's a second nature to breathe in intense moments. I feel as if all of the chaos I had worked towards healing in my mind and body would come flooding back if I were to stop now. Meditation makes me feel like a better person and as if my problems aren't as big as I make them; that I am just another being in this universe going to life as I should.
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ReplyDeleteMy personal "whale hunt" would have to be basketball. Sometimes I get hurt physically and sometimes I am emotionally drained because of it. But there is also this part of it that just brings me back when I feel like giving in. There is something so special about it and I cannot give that up.
ReplyDeleteMy personal "whale hunt" would have to be basketball. Sometimes I get hurt physically and sometimes I am emotionally drained because of it. But there is also this part of it that just brings me back when I feel like giving in. There is something so special about it and I cannot give that up.
ReplyDelete